Hosted by the research group “Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties” (BESD), Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo.
Abstract of the lecture
For decades, bullying has been considered by many to be a normal part of childhood— a rite of passage that helps toughen children up and build character. This misguided viewpoint stands in sharp contrast to the empirical evidence which highlights the important role peers play in healthy development. Children have a fundamental need to belong and when they do not belong, healthy development is derailed. Indeed, children who are rejected, ignored, and/or abused by their peers do not thrive—they tend to have significantly more mental health issues, poorer physical health, and lower academic achievement. What’s more, longitudinal research points to the fact that these associations represent causal outcomes of poor treatment by peers. The focus of this lecture is on the long-term consequences bullying.
About the guest lecturer
Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in School-Based Mental Health and Violence Prevention at the University of Ottawa where she is cross-appointed as a full professor in Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education and the School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences. Dr. Vaillancourt is also a core member of the Brain and Mind Institute, Faculty of Medicine and the Centre for Health Law, Policy, and Ethics, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, the president-elect of the International Society for Research on Aggression, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She is the recipient of the University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Research, the University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Media Relations, the YMCA Peace Medal, the McMaster Student Union Teaching Award for Science, and the McMaster University Student Union Teaching Merit Award for Science. Dr. Vaillancourt has published over 190 peer reviewed studies primarily on the links between bullying and mental health, with a particular focus on social neuroscience.
Currently she is cooperating with Dr. Thormod Idsøe from the Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo in investigations of bullying in the project SLEDE (Socioeconomic risk, learning and development from infancy through early adolescence) that is part of BONDS (The Behavior Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study). This is a prospective longitudinal study conducted by NUBU (Nasjonalt utviklingssenter for barn og unge) with Dr. Ane Nærde as principal investigator.
Velkommen til alle
Det er fremdeles for lite oppmerksomhet om hvor ødeleggende mobbing kan være for dem som blir utsatt. Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt ved University of Ottawa, Canada er en av de internasjonalt ledende forskerne om hvordan mobbing påvirker barns psykiske helse, også innenfor et nevrobiologisk perspektiv. Hun er en engasjerende foredragsholder som også er trener for jentefotball og dermed ofte konfronteres med de sosiale prosessene som foregår blant tenåringsjenter. Sist hun var i Oslo deltok hun på en trening med jentelaget til Stabekk. Hjertlig velkommen til et engasjerende foredrag i forskningsfronten for langtidskonsekvenser av mobbing!